SHE'S ALMOST ONE!! [Update and maybe some questions!]

Hey friends and family!
HOLY COW!!! Teagan is 11 months old now!! and she says "Moooooo!"

It has been too fun watching her continue to grow and develop! at about 8 and a half months she got the four legged crawl DOWN. She crawls everywhere fast...like super fast. She also creeps across EVERYTHING she can! At 9 months she also grew into the 12 month clothes size! At her 9 month checkup she was 17 lbs on the dot which puts her in the 26th percentile for weight and 28 inches which is the 75th percentile for height.

Some major things that happened the last few months was Teagan had her first cold/flu... with that came a lot of loose stool and the worst diaper rash she's ever gotten. We took a break from cloth diapers for a couple weeks because of the sheer amount of poo I was having to wash, plus the super strong diaper rash cream isn't cloth diaper friendly! With the opportunity of disposables, I've been slowly (with ALOT of help from my mom) replacing the elastic in her cloth diapers. (At this moment I only have 1 left to replace) So she's been back in cloth.

She also has begun "potty training." I put quotes because its more of just introducing her to the potty. We put her on after each nap and a good amount of the time she'll go (when she wakes up dry).. but then again a lot of the time she doesn't. But we know the repetition of her being set on the potty is good exposure to her.

She now has 8 teeth! (when I started typing this over three months ago ... I know... I've been slacking... she had 6) She bites! HARD, and I think she may be working on tooth number nine.

Teagan basically eats anything at this point, there are still a couple food items I'm waiting until after a year for her to eat, but she loves dinner time and snack time, and breakfast time....

here are a few pic from the last few months!

Teagan 9 months

My sister and her family came to Arizona in August for a visit and it was so great to get to cuddle with little Preston again!

THIS is Preston, isn't he the most handsome?!?! 

This was the only pic we could get of them both looking at the camera.. Teagan tried tackling him all the other ones!

My best friend Eve took our family pictures when Teagan was right around 9 months old :D If you are in the Tucson area and need a great affordable photographer Comment below and I'll get you her info!

We took our first family trip to Sedona and Teagan was such a trooper!! 

Teagan at 10 months

LOOK AT THOSE TEETH!!! all 8 of them!! (this is what she does when you say SMILE!)

Teagan at 11 months

Next month she turns 1!!! AAAHHHH!!!
So question:

What did you guys do for your baby's 1st birthday? go all out? low key? Home? some other place? Lets get real, its more for the parent's anyway! let me know!!


SO many of you have been asking about present's for Teagan, well my hubby and I do have an amazon wish list that we have with "nice to haves" that every once in a while we will get something off of. So by NO MEANS are we saying "get our baby something!" but for those who have been asking what you could get her, THIS LINK is a great start. We also included a tab above for ease of access.

Until next time!

Bre and Teagan

8 month Update and playroom tour!

Hey Friends and Family!

Teagan is 8 months old now!!! She is such a little joy to be around (as long as she isn't teething.. more on that later) and watch grow and discover the world! I'm not sure what her stats are at the moment because we don't have another appointment until next month (9 month checkup). But I know she's growing and putting on weight.. either that or her clothes are shrinking and I'm getting weaker... I'm going to go with the first thought haha.

Heres a little fun pic I did when Teagan reached her 33 week post gestation: 

Teagan now says mama and dada ALL the time.. Dada when she's happy and MAAAMMMMMAAAAAAAAA!! when she's not so happy... example: I give her food: "Hi dada!! MMMMMM DADA!!!!"... nap time: mmmMMMAAAAAAMMMAAAAA (insert whiny whine here) mmmmaaaAAAAAMMMAAAAaaaa ... wakes up from a nap or in general wakes up "dada!! HIIII DDAAADDDAAA!!! dadadadada.... but who goes and gets her? ME... wet diaper: MMMAAAAAMMMMMAAAAA.. you get the idea haha

Speaking of diapering, yes we still cloth diaper and the struggle now is NOT buying more... there are SO MANY cute prints out and I have to keep telling myself we don't need anymore.. the reason we cloth is so we SAVE money. haha the only thing I have to do with the diapers now is replace some of the elastic in them (want a post on how to do that?) because they are getting stretched out so..... MOM I know you read this... next time you visit I have a project for you to help me with!! **hint hint**

Teeth: Teagan now has FOUR teeth!!! FOUR!!! AND she uses them... in a way I feel like she's a puppy with all the bite marks on me hehe but with the teething comes a crabby baby. I tried orajel and that didn't work really well... AND sleep didn't go so well either with her, my baby who was previously sleeping through the night, went back to a newborn schedule of 3ish hours. BUT I have AMAZING neighbors (who have been parents way longer then me) and they gave me some teething tablets (how did I not know about these little magic chewy things!?) and they did the trick until her tooth finally cut through!!

So with her sleep (minus the two weeks it took to cut the last tooth) Teagan has been sleeping about 8-9.5 hours a night before wanting a diaper change then she sleeps another 2-3 hours before her day starts. Then she takes 2-3 naps a day lasting about an hour and 20 min (yes she's that specific) I've recently moved her bed time up from 9-10 7:30 to 8:30 and she's transitioned pretty well with it :)  On the note of transitions: I'm going to do a post soon on how I transitioned Teagan from the saddle (the ones I used to do so) AND how she now sleeps in HER room!

Mobility: Teagan is SUPER mobile now! she still army crawls with the best of them (SO FAST!!) she REFUSES to even try a four legged crawl (aint nobody got time for that) BUT she's working really hard on walking! she can walk really well with support, weather it be from me or the hubby or using her walker thing. She also creeps across pretty much anything she can pull herself up on. ie the baby gate, couch, storage thing for her toys (she tried climbing up her teepee... learned about gravity real fast) So I've got a good feeling that she may walk before she "properly" crawls.

"Don't just sit there and laugh at me! Let me in!"

Food: Teagan still gets her main nutrition from breast milk but as many of you know we have been doing baby led weaning and have had a lot of success with it! We started off with the recommended fruits and vegetables for her age month and have slowly added new foods and textures as she has gotten more teeth and mastered a food. So, Teagan now can eat pretty much all foods (except honey and strait cows milk) in baby sized form. And since she has teeth she LOVES to eat (or nibble and share the rest with the dogs... they are best friends when this happens). Some of her favorites: watermelon, chicken, pasta, and most recently cottage cheese. She also loves pretty much any fruit that I put in front of her: banana, apple, mango, pear, peaches, nectarines, plums (ok, not plums so much but I think the one I gave her wasn't quite ready yet) blueberries, and most recently she's been "nomming" (her quote) down strawberries. I have to admit that more recently I've kinda slacked on veggies but she for sure does enjoy avocado, steamed broccoli, carrots, corn (the dogs really like when she has corn because she discovered she has a pretty good throwing arm with this one) lettuce (she makes some great faces with this one) and cooked bell pepper. Some of the grains she's had is oats, toast, different kinds of rice, pasta... well anyway you get the point. Pretty much at this time she has a mini version of what we eat and she (and the dogs) loves meal time.

A little update on me since I haven't done one in a while: I'm still pre pregnancy weight, but not the shape, which as you moms out there know is frustrating when 8 months out you still are wearing the pregnancy clothes. But I've been picking up my exercise and in doing that I've also been getting physical therapy for my knee pain. At this point (almost 3 months) of therapy my legs are getting super toned again.. but my knee still hurts. So, at my next doctors appointment I'm going to get a referral for an MRI so we can get an idea of something is torn or not. Part of me feels that if something IS torn it's super frustrating to continue spending money (co pays add up when they make you go two times a week for two months!) on physical therapy trying to fix an issue that only surgery can. However IF something is torn, I do see the benefit from physical therapy strengthening the surrounding muscles to make recovery from a possible surgery that much quicker. Anyway I digress and will continue to update you all on that area of fun.

Teagan starting to eat real food and get teeth has been an interesting transition for me. As I stated before, she still breastfeeds, but now it's like a game of Russian roulette: is she going to bite me this time? How hard? how often? She does feed less often now and for a shorter amount of time (but that's totally normal). I recently worked through a bad clogged duct so I wouldn't get mastitis  (all mom's out there know this one!) so that was fun... not. With all this "fun" I have found myself reminding myself that I've committed to a year (at least) of breast feeding and that even through the not so fun pain, I'm providing her with the super nutrition that's kept her really healthy and no sickness (knock on wood) yet. But on the especially bite-full days.... I tell her she's getting closer and closer to getting cut off (these threats do nothing... but make me feel better at the moment haha).

Other then those struggles I've enjoyed watching Teagan get bigger and discover more and more of her world each day. Which brings me to how we have been working on keeping her engaged and her little mind working! We have basically now dedicated our entry room of our house to her playroom:

This is kinda what we started with (up until a couple weeks ago) to the right of this picture we used to have a table and four chairs (now upstairs in our loft) but ever since Teagan got mobile she started climbing all over it and trying to climb up the chairs so we took that baby danger out of the equation. 

My neighbors graciously gave me their old entertainment center (I believe you can get this at IKEA?) when they got a new one and its worked out great as a spot to store all Teagan's toys, supplies and diapers! to the left is where the dirty diapers go and on the right is a dry erase magnet board that we are hoping to get MANY years of use out of as she gets older with school and such. 

The animal wall is wall stickers we got from Hobby Lobby and I think they are so CUTE. (her favorite sticker is the lion) 

For those wondering about the cat tree, no she doesn't climb on it and the cats are pretty content (when they aren't in the Teepee) to hang out on the top and watch Teagan from up there. 

Once we moved the table upstairs, we added a teepee and it's also opened up room for her to "walk" around or torture the dogs. 

She loves to pull herself up on the big block (top left) and play with the trinkets on top of it.. she will stand there FOREVER squealing and "dadadadadadaing" The walker zebra thing has become a new favorite because is has given her "freedom" and it lights up and makes noise. And in front is the little gym that her daddy made and she still plays with it.. she's even tried standing and pushing it around haha.

Here is the most recent addition that I forced.. I mean encouraged the hubby to make. I've always liked the idea of a little reading nook or quiet spot for Teagan and have loved all those cute teepees that are super popular. But they can be really expensive. I'm proud to say the hubby and I constructed this for less then $15!! (YAY us!) So far Teagan doesn't really play in it much but the cats LOVE it! But I'm sure as she gets older she'll come to really like this little spot. 

So, coming up in our family? Teagan has her 9 month check up next month so we'll see how much more giant she's gotten. AND we've also been planning our first family vacation that we will be going on in a few short months! (And we're bringing the dogs!!... cats are going to my parents for a vacation from Teagan haha)

So... until next time!

Bre and Teagan!

Months 6 and 7

Hey Friends and Family!

It is getting so hard to find time to sit and type! Teagan is now mobile and I can't just sit her down with the play gym and watch from the chair. Now I have to make sure she's not terrorizing the cats or chasing down the dogs, or chewing on chairs (that's normal right?).

So quick update: over mother's day weekend Teagan got her first two teeth! She was also dedicated at our church that weekend.

Pastor John, Papa, Teagan, and me at her dedication at our church

Mine and the hubby's families came for Teagan's dedication/

 During month 6 she also said mama and papa, and mastered the army crawl. She can also sit with some assistance (she hasn't brought herself to a sitting position yet on her own but she is working on it! She now wears nine month sized clothing and is 14 lbs and 10 oz. and 26.5 inches long (tall and skinny baby!) Teagan also had her first REAL people food at six months and is enjoying trying new types of food each week. Some of her favorites are avocado, sweet potato, banana, baby pancakes, and broccoli.

Teagan Rae 6 months old

She still sleeps through the night, although there was a week there that she kept waking up ever 3 hours demanding food (growth spurt). She is also starting to take longer naps. Usually now I can get about an hour and just yesterday she took a three hour one that I woke her up from because it was starting to get late and I didn't want her to not sleep at night.

Teagan and her woof Mitzi

A couple weeks ago, Teagan, my mom and I went to California to see my sister and nephew and Teagan took her first plane ride! She did.. ok, on the ride there she did really well, and on the way back our plane was delayed 3 hours so I don't blame her one bit, I wanted to scream too!

Teagan 7 months old

So upcoming things for us: We have been talking about going on a family vacation, just haven't decided where yet. The debate is drive somewhere closer and stay longer or fly somewhere to see family and stay a shorter time. Right now with the heat AZ is giving us, ANYWHERE sounds good haha. Father's day is coming up this weekend so that will be exciting! (PS, Teagan just started cutting some more teeth! she cut two on mothers day and now she's cutting some more just in time for fathers day!)

Until next time (if naps allow!)
Bre and Teagan

4 and 5 month Update

Hey Friends and Family!

Wow I started this as a 4 month update, but Teagan isn't much of a day napper so my time with her napping is first house chores then the blog so I haven't had much time to update you all!!

4 month update:

My baby is 4 months old now!! AAHHHHH time is going by so fast! And she's growing and changing so fast too!! We just had her 4 month checkup this week actually (more shots) and the pediatrician says she's doing great!

Teagan now weighs 12 pounds 6 ounces- that puts her in the 15% : I asked the doctor if I should be concerned about the percentage drop (she was in the 50th % at her 2 month checkup) and he said he's not too concerned because she's doing so well, but he's going to have us come in, in another 4 weeks for a weight check. To make sure she's still putting on weight.

Her height is 25.5 inches long, putting her at the 80% for her age group. (at 2 months she was 98%) So she's still a giant, but not as giant haha. This is also pretty normal for the growth to slow down a bit and instead she'll start having growth spurts.

This being said the doctor is NOT concerned with her weight because of how STRONG, alert, and developmentally well she is.

At 4 months and 1 day Teagan rolled over all on her own from back to front (she had been easily rolling over from her tummy to back for about a month, but that's more just moving her arm and letting momentum take over). About a week later she started doing full rolls where she would start at one side of the carpet and roll all the way to the other side. (Now I definitely can't just plop her down and walk away for a second, she mobile by way of rolling!)

The day Teagan turned four months we were up in Phoenix visiting my parents and attending NASCAR at PIR. Here are some pics from that day:

We also celebrated Resurrection Sunday with the hubby's family and here's a picture from that day of all of us!

5 month update: 

Teagan just turned 5 months yesterday! We had her followup with the pediatrician on Monday and she is now 13 pounds 8 oz. I'm not sure what percentile that puts her in, but the pediatrician is no longer concerned with her weight. She does however now have eczema and he gave us some special lotions to use and instructions for SHORT baths (Teagan is heartbroken over this one).

A new milestone we just noticed is Teagan can sit up without support now for short periods of time! Although, she would much rather have you hold her hands and stand.

Next month will be her baby dedication at our church (right before she turns 6 months old) so I'll be sure to have some pics of that!!

That's going to be all for now! (Free time is precious!)


Until Next time
Bre and Teagan

3 month update

Hey Friends and family!!

Sometimes I feel like I just told you guys we were expecting and then BAM my baby is 3 months old!! They weren't kidding when they said time flies!

Mommy update:
I've still hold steady at my pre-pregnancy weight (even though I could benefit from losing a couple more pounds) and am starting to fit back into most of my pre-pregnancy clothes.... although I do have to squeeze in to pants still... my hips.. yeah they don't lie haha I also had an IUD put in (no Irish twins for us!!!) a few weeks ago. The big issue I have been having is my left knee. It's been pretty achey since I was pregnant. I originally thought it was connected to the weight gain, but its just gotten worse over the past few months. So I'm going to have to make a doctors appointment to get x-rays or something to figure out what's making it so painful to get up and down. (wow I sound old!)

Now what you all really care about.. Teagan update!

Teagan is now 3 months old! (and a couple weeks weeks)
I don't have growth information other then she's grown out of her 0-3 month clothes and is probably going to be done with her 3 month clothes pretty soon at the rate she grows!! We don't have another pediatrician appointment until next month so we just get to enjoy her company and watch her grow for now. She is such a GOOD baby! (don't get me wrong she cries like any other baby and has her moments) She still sleeps through the night- between 7-8 1/2 hours (knock on wood). She LOVES bath time - I'm pretty sure she's going to be a swimmer. She's a little chatter box (just like her mommy) and loves to coo and goo and make this funny little gargling noise when we play with her. Her hand eye coordination is developing and its so fun to watch her interact with her little toys. She's also a little flirt: happy to share a smile with anyone who is willing to look at her. Teagan also has been bound and determined these last two weeks to... well SHE thinks she is going places haha she wiggles like crazy during tummy time and tries so hard to roll over. I'm pretty sure she will within the next week or so! She also likes to "stand." I hold onto her little hands and she bops up and down on her feet happy as a clam. And finally; she's doing great with her cloth diapers. She's quick to let me know she's wet.. not so much at letting me know she went #2... (is that normal? haha) We've started elimination communication but aren't forcing it to hard because I'm not good at catching her in the act haha

Well that's it for now.. I think I'll let you all off with some pics of my beautiful little one:

These next few are from yesterday. We got a new carpet/rug for our living room and before the four legged babies covered it in their fur we did a little photo shoot. 

Until next time!!

Bre and Teagan 

Here's what I packed for the Hospital!

Hey Friends and Family!
Wow! Its almost been three months since the hubby and I made our way to the hospital to welcome Teagan into the world! Since then I've found out a BUNCH of my friends and SISTER is due this year!! Since my sister is due in the next couple months I thought I'd make a list of what I ACTUALLY used while we were at the hospital. There are a BUNCH of lists out there and I went off them but didn't use everything... so here's what I like as a bear minimum.

We were only in the hospital for the minimum required 24 hours after a birth because I was SO TIRED of all the doctors and nurses coming in and doing all the checks and wanted some sleep! Also I have the philosophy of if it's not medically necessary for me to be there then I wont waste a bed! I did pack for another day's worth of clothing but didn't end up needing those clothes. Plus we were lucky enough to be only 25 minutes from the hospital so anything I needed I sent the hubby to bring back after checking in on the dogs.

Must have packing list for the hospital (this is in mind for a regular birth with a normal 48 hour stay after baby is born, if you have a planned C section or plan on staying longer, just pack more clothes!):

***All the paperwork you’ll need for the hospital***

·      IDs

·      Insurance info

·      Birth plan (I brought mine but never took it out, I just made sure my hubby was aware of my wishes)

FOR MOM

Toiletries travel sized everything! No need to bring a whole bottle of shampoo unless you are sharing with all the other moms in the hospital!

·      Toothbrush

·      Toothpaste

·      Facewash (I bought a pack of the face wipes)

·      Makeup- if you feel like getting dolled up (I brought mine, but never wore it!)

·      Hairbrush and hair ties (feels so good to have your hair brushed, and no one wants hair in their face while they are pushing a baby out and when trying to learn to breast feed!)

·      CHAPSTICK! (all the huffing and puffing dries out the lips!)

·      Shampoo, conditioner, bodywash (whatever you need for a shower, I actually packed a couple sample packs that I got for free and it was the perfect amount!)

·      Big fluffy towel (hospital towels are better for a foot mat.. they are so thin!

·      Deodorant- you WILL sweat!

·       Glasses/ contacts & solution

·      nipple cream – they should give you some at the hospital (sample sized) but good to have on hand just in case!

Clothes (If you are planning for a C-Section double these items!)

·      Nursing bra – I wore this out of the hospital (a little more support, but no underwire until your doctor clears you and your milk comes in… underwire is the #1 cause of mastitis and you don’t need to deal with that when you are figuring out how to nurse!)

·      Nursing tank top – I wore this in the hospital, with all the doctors/nurses/lactation specialist looking at your chest this gives you a little more coverage, plus the tank top holds your belly in a little bit more!

·      Pajamas- I wore these after birth, in the hospital, comfort before fashion for me! (I didn’t allow any visitors in the hospital so I had no one to impress)

·      Fuzzy socks- just because who doesn’t love fuzzy socks!? Plus hospitals are cold!

·      Loose fitting sweater/robe- preferably a button down or zipper for easy access to nurse.

·      Outfit home- I did yoga pants and a loose fitting shirt- you don’t want anything too tight around your belly or your under parts (lady diapers give a little extra padding)

·      *optional- pack of cheap undies you don’t mind throwing out, don’t bing your nice undies in case you leak through!

Breast feeding pillow- You’ll thank me, it’s so helpful when you’re figuring out a latch you don’t have to worry about your arm falling off from being tired

FOR DAD

·      a couple sets of comfy clothes, I’d recommend sweats and loose fitting shirt for the labor process (that way if he needs to climb into bed and support you during labor tight jeans wont get in the way) and more normal after – although a button down will be great to add so he can do the kangaroo hold with your newborn J

·      Extra blanket and PILLOW (hospitals seem to be REALLY low on these) for the very uncomfortable couch bed

·      Snacks and money for the vending machine – the more snacks you pack the less you’ll have to get from the vending machine!

·      Any toiletries you aren’t willing to share with him.

ENTERTAINMENT & Extras

·      Laptop/tablet and charger – bring some dvds with you… after the baby is born or if labor is taking a while you’ll have some down time

·      Camera and charger

·      Cell phone and charger (your call list too for who to call after the baby arrives!)

·      Baby book (we brought our so they could do the footprints for us, just keep the page out and bookmarked!)

·      SNACKS!! Pack lots! Vending machine snacks suck… plus they are expensive, yes the hospital will give you three meals a day, but when you want a twix… yeah they wont bring you one!

·      Any other items you have for the birthing process (if you are going at it all natural: things like your heating pad, massage wand, essential oils etc.)

FOR BABY

·      Car seat- they wont let you take your baby home without one!

·      Diaper bag- you really don’t need too much because they provide SO MUCH at the hospital… here’s what we actually used:

o   A couple gowns that open from the bottom

o   Going home outfit

o   Diapers and wipes

o   Muslin blanket

o   Hand sanitizer

o   Changing pad

Make sure you take home all the freebies they give you!!!

Some things to have AT HOME will be my next post!!

Until next time!

Bre and Teagan

Must haves for surviving the first month with a baby

Hey Friends and Family!

Now that I've had a baby for a couple month (almost 3 now wow!) I think I've got a grasp on what I use and love regularly. Also my sister is due with her first baby in May (and after TWO tries we STILL don't know if the baby will be a niece or nephew! Such a stubborn baby!) With this in mind I thought I'd put a post together a check list of sorts of what I feel are the MUST HAVES for the first few month. I'll also include some nice to haves and explain why.

Also, alot of this post will be directed to my sister since she's expecting so yeah.. you'll have to deal with that haha. And, I'm going to try to focus on gender neutral type stuff since we don't know what she's having yet!

Firstly, the things you want for YOURSELF:
Free stuff from the hospital: 

• That squirt bottle they give you to clean yourself with- I tore like crazy after birth so wiping wasn't an option for a few weeks as I healed. Plus we now use the bottle as a water holder to wet our cloth wipes with with our cloth diapering so duel use!!
• The tiny rectangle bucket - we used this for Teagan's sponge baths while we were waiting for her umbilical stump to come off
• As much of the "lady diapers" as I could get my hands on! - with a sore under area the extra padding was nice until I was healed up enough to switch to regular pads. 
• As much of the free nipple cream samples as I could get from the lactation consultants- Teagan DESTROYED my nipples and the little sample sizes are great for the diaper bag! 

Stuff to have at home:

• TUCKS witch hazel pads- I got these in the hospital after they stitched me up, this stuff is great for your down there area, takes off the burn and its a cooling agent. Its found in the hemorrhoid isle.... which btw... if you are like me and get one after birth they are great for those too!
• DERMOPLAST - This is another item the hospital started me off (Worked GREAT in the hospital right after the birth) on and does the same thing that Tucks does along with numbing your lady area, but I only used it for the first week and then exclusively used the Tucks. 
• Medication prescribed: ok so this is a given but I wasn't aloud to drive for two weeks after the birth so make sure you have your spouse or family or whoever is helping out fill and pick up your prescriptions and TAKE them until the pain is gone! It doesn't help you to be in more pain then necessary when you are trying to take care of your new little one. They wont prescribe pain medication that is a hindrance to the baby through your milk supply so don't try to be proud. 
• Pads- you will eventually run out of what I like to call the lady diapers and then have to go back to pads (sorry tampon wearers! you are not aloud to wear them for a while after birth!) so stock up on some really good absorbent ones!
• Button down shirts or loose fitting shirts- these will help so much with breast feeding! 
• Easy pre prepared meals your spouse can just throw in the crock pot or oven.- before I had Teagan I put some meals together like soup, lasagna, some freezer crock pot meals that the hubby could just throw in the oven or cook for us (otherwise we would have starved) because trust me, that first week (at least! especially if you tear like me) all you focus on is feeding the baby, getting some sleep, and maybe sometimes taking a shower.

CLOTHES 

Diapers:

Yes this is a DUH but apparently some people go to the hospital and don't have any. Yes the hospital will give you some, but if you want to use a specific brand or type (disposable or cloth...although we did not use cloth until after we left the hospital I did make sure we had our specific brand at the hospital and asked them to donate the pack they had planned to use) make sure you tell people who are going to your showers so you don't have a bunch of different kinds and have to make trips back to the store to make returns. Trust me the LAST thing you want to do the last couple weeks before birth, OR the next few weeks after is go to stores and stand in the customer service line! Also, since my baby grew so quickly I would NOT ask for newborn sizes, I would ask for lots of the bigger sizes and just buy the newborn sizes as needed. (Mine grew out of hers within a couple weeks!)

Onesies (must have):

Next are Onesies that open Easily from Both the bottom legs. For example These:

are super cute, but a PAIN IN THE BUTT at night when trying to change a diaper. The baby's right leg is SOOO much harder to get out, there's lots of yanking involved and I feel like I'm pulling Teagan's leg out at a weird angle. 

SEE basically a naked baby!

Not to mention She's basically naked when I'm trying to change her, AND since I had a winter baby, it sucks to watch your baby cry because she's COLD and not because she's wet... Just saying... Even though the zipper is really nice and quick, the one leg just isn't diaper friendly for a newborn that spends most its time sleeping! 

I like the following types of onesies MUCH BETTER: 

I actually have come to love these ones that snap down both legs. Some people say they don't like the gaps left in between the snaps but I like to call those ventilation. Babies have gas too people and no one likes a "dutchoven!" I've only had a couple times where Teagan's foot poked out when she was bigger then a newborn size but her legs weren't quite a 3 month length.  So seester I'd recommend a few of these in newborn and ALOT in 3 months and up. 

Now this type of gown I'm 50/50 on. I like the easy access for the diaper changes, but my baby LOVED spitting up in these so she didn't wear them for long haha. These are GREAT for longevity because most of these are one size and will last through MANY months! Its also daddy friendly becasue they dont have to deal with snaps or zippers and just have to pull up the gown to change a diaper (if you can get them to change one). So sister this is a really good one for your little one! I would just recommend socks if it gets chilly (but you ((sister)) are having a spring/summer baby so it shouldn't be that big of a deal). One down side to this is they are not car seat friendly, you'd have to expose the little one's legs; but you can still cover the legs up with a blanket if forced.

Lastly I loved these at the hospital but we didn't have any of our own and the hospital asked that we not take them. For you seester this will be great for your warm weather'd baby. They are little shirts that do a cross body snap closure and leave the bottom of the baby alone. This is great for the hospital because they are always doing some test that involve undressing the baby and with this its super simple in conjunction to a blanket swaddle. No fuss no mess. We would have bought some of these for our baby if we didn't A: have a BUNCH of the other onesies above and B: have a winter baby and felt she needed the extra layer of warmth. So this one is defiantly a nice to have and not a must.

BEDTIME

Swaddles (must):

Muslin swaddle blankets  are great for the daytime for my baby. I can get a good 45 min to sometimes 2 hour naps with them. BUT my baby is a little Houdini and can get her arms out of them after wiggling a bit and wakes up so they don't work for night sleeps. They are also great for burp cloths and blankets/ covers for the carseat. I like these because you really get your money's worth out of them with all the uses you get out of them! I'd recommend one 4 pack weather it be aden and anais or a store brand set (I have both and they both work great). I've never gone through all of them at one time so that's why I'd only recommend one set. 

Swaddle me (my personal favorite) has worked great for us! These are little pods you put your baby in and velcro wrap the arms down securely. They come in different types. The pod - looks like a peanut, you but the baby in and zip it closed. It only comes in newborn size.. I really think its a waste of money because of this (Seester don't buy it, you're getting mine). But the next stage (stage 2- the "original swaddle") comes in a sm/md and lg size and you get a lot more use out of. Plus these ones are often sold in three packs and are pretty affordable. Teagan sleeps REALLY well in these for night sleeping! She can't wiggle her arms out and because of this she averages around 7-8 hours of sleep strait a night. And she's been sleeping these hours since she was around 6 weeks old... so take it from me.. its a MUST HAVE and it works! 

Halo Sleep Sack is one of the swaddles I bought because everyone else liked it. And I have to say the one I have... I dont like it. They are great in theory, they are supposed to be used through the transition of getting out of the swaddle and into sleeping with arms free when the baby can roll over. Now this is great.. if my child wasn't a giant. She's almost grown out of the size requirements of the size small and has always been able to get her hands out and it wakes her up. Once the baby can roll over the wrap part just goes around the torso (see pics below) one arm introduced out at a time until the baby can sleep with both arms out. Well since I've never had a successful night with the swaddle part and Teagan is getting too big to make it to the next stage my sister is also getting sent this size small. I may revisit the next size up for purchase when she starts rolling over. But for now it is a nice to have; especially since just ONE of these costs the same as TWO of the swaddle me's. Seester hopefully you have more luck with it then I did! (PS buy these at target, any other place they are more expensive! weird right?) 

Crib (must):

Ok yes this is also a DUH but I'm not talking about the crib in the baby's room. I'm talking about the one you use in YOUR room the first few months. For me and my hubby, it's not realistic to have Teagan in her room until she's probably able to sleep through the night AFTER she's figured out how to roll over. This is because we have a very large house and her room is on the other side of the house and we wouldn't be able to hear her cries if she woke up. Yes we have a monitor, but I'd rather be close to her and get to her before she gets too upset to quickly console back to sleep. Plus I'd have a hard time getting back to sleep if I had to wake up and walk ALL THE WAY to the other side of the house. Think about it.. not all babies are like mine and sleep 7-8 hours through the night so soon... they wake up every 2-4 hours for diaper changes or boob... you want to walk around your house THAT much all night???... just saying

SOOOO off my soapbox, whether it be a bassinet or a portable crib like we have. I'd highly recommend a SAFE (do NOT sleep with your baby IN your bed with you!!) sleeping spot in your room for these first months. You'll thank me later. 

Crib Sheet Protector liner (must have):

These are great! I'd get two, one for the wash and one for the crib. This wonderful thing is great for those nights your baby sleeps REALLY DEAPLY and overflows her diaper. It saves you from having to strip the crib and change the sheet and clean the mattress. OR we used it around her head area for a while because she would pass out and spit up or drool like crazy so I was changing sheets nightly (it got old). 

On a side note I'd also add a mattress protector cover. Just like I have one on my mattress, I got one for Teagan's. It blocks allergens and is an extra (usually) waterproof cover against body fluids. 

Crib Sheet (Must have): 

This is a given but I would definitely get like three of these. You'll either go through a few weeks of not needing to change out the sheet, or you'll go through all of them in like 2 days. At a minimum have two. Trust me you don't want to have to stay up waiting for the laundry to finish just for a crib sheet. Plus these are a great way to accessorize your baby's room! For instance our sheets are in the white, yellow, and grey theme because of Teagan's room. 

OUT AND ABOUT

Baby wearer (Nice to have):

These personally I LOVE. I have an Ergo Baby carrier and infant insert for my husband and a boba wrap for myself. These are a nice to have because you can put your baby down or in a car seat. But, I love being able to carry around Teagan when we go to the store and have two hands free and don't have to push around the stroller or have the car seat take up a bunch of extra room. Plus there are bunches of benefits to baby wearing (maybe I'll do a separate post) but mostly I love it because I can keep an eye on Teagan and still get stuff done. OR when I'm at the store it keeps those weird strangers who think they have a right to breath all over my baby away from her face because they are less likely to invade my personal space. 

Diaper bag of some kind (must):

My diaper bag is a bag from the company Thirtyone and  works great for my cloth diapering. It's big and roomy and even has Teagan's name engraved in it. PLUS!! it didn't cost an arm and a leg. Yes you need SOMETHING to carry all your stuff in BUT you DONT have to spend alot of money on some fancy "diaper bag." Just find what works for you. If you want to spend lots of money, hey I'm not going to judge you, but I just think the extra money could be spent on other things. 

FEEDING

Boppy (nice to have):

Nursing pillows are AWESOME but not 100% necessary. I like mine and even have two covers I switch out after they've been spit up on. BUT I've also used couch pillows or regular pillows and even a rolled up sweat shirt to prop Teagan up to feed her. I've also liked it because when Teagan is being especially cuddly she'll sleep on the boppy when its on my lap.. so yeah I like it.. but its not 100% necessary to feed a baby. Oh! and its a great neck nap pillow for me sometimes (think extra large travel pillow haha)

Breast pump (must have... if breastfeeding):

I'm not going to be the person to say formula baby's miss out or are bad. Every mom gets a choice and do what works for them.

BUT for those who DO plan on breastfeeding this is a MUST, especially the first month. Your chest is trying to figure out your baby's needs and schedule and engorgement SUCKS AANNND it HURTS so bad! For me I had to call the company and get different sized pieces to make it fit my chest correctly to make it work right. And even then I ended up buying a manual pump because I was just not as successful with my electric pump. 

So first get a really good breast pump; most insurances cover the cost of one now, or like mine they will just send you one. Second: make sure after the baby comes that you get with someone who knows how they should work and learn how to use them. Third: make sure it fits you correctly! This I would say is the most important part! Just like you have a different bra size then other ladies.. you may not be the "average" attachment size for the pump and because of that, may not be able to pump successfully until you get the right fit so don't give up. Personally it took me getting new parts twice until I had a good fit. and finally Fourth: don't give up

Nursing Cover (Nice to have):

Now this is a nice to have if you prefer to coverup while feeding, but if your baby doesn't like to be covered up (it gets hot under the cover!! Especially here in Arizona!) know it if you right to breast feed openly in public! You as a mother in EVERY STATE have the right to feed in public. Just google breast feeding laws and you can find the specifics for your state. Some states are WAY more accommodating then others (like California ((SEESTER)) you can get out of jury duty if you are breastfeeding!) and then some (like mine) simply state you have the right to breastfeed in public without being charged with indecent exposure.  Personally I have a cover I use in public because Teagan doesn't stay latched the whole time. She will feed for a bit, then look around and coo... meanwhile my boob is hanging out... so yeah I use a cover in public. Or, I'll find a room to feed her in; some malls have nursing lounges or I'll find a changing room or I'll hang out in my car where I can use a sun shield as a little privacy maker. 

BATH and Potty

Baby Bathtub (nice to have):

I have to admit I REALLY like my 4moms bathtub but I would probably have done fine without it. BUT if I didn't get the tub I defiantly would have gotten the 4moms spout cover to know the water temperature. The tub we have is great, it fits over my kitchen sink and collects water on one side that tells you if the temperature of the water is a safe time, and once it is you plug up that side and it flows to the other side (where the baby is) and you are able to bath your baby in a safe temp. This one I have IS pricy so you could get a regular tub or baby holder that goes in a tub and coincide it with the temp spout cover...  Or you can use a sink those work too, I'm pretty sure I was washed in a sink so there is that.. like I said its nice to have an infant tub, babies are squirmy and little and that extra support is very helpful with the recline so you can use both hands for scrubbing (or in my case one for scrubbing, one for recording her adorable faces she makes while in the water).

Hooded Towels (nice to have): 

These are super cute, but not necessary. You really can just use any towels you have around the house. But if you do want them I'd recommend at least two. 

Baby wash cloths (Nice to have): 

Like the towel's I'm sure you have wash cloths laying around your house, so really these aren't 100% necessary. BUT! I do like having them on hand to clean up spit up. When I cant find a burp cloth and Teagan spits up, these little rags are pretty handy for cleaning her face. Oh and if you cloth diaper they are great for cloth wipes! 

Changing pad  (Nice to have):

These are great and not too expensive. Most of them are contoured with raised edges to help keep your baby from rolling off. They are also easily wiped down AND you can get a bunch of different colored covers for them. - we have two and switch them out for cleaning. But they aren't completely necessary because at some point you pretty much change your kid wherever. 

• That being said you do need a portable changing pad for your diaper bag! there are some that fold down, some store wipes and spare diapers, and some have little clutches THIS is the one we got and I LOVE it!! 

Changing pad liner (MUST HAVE):

Changing pads are great to have, but not necessary because at some point EVERY surface is a changing station. I would recommend the changing pad for diaper bag and the changing pad liners as a bear minimum. When we are down stairs the liner goes on the couch and that's the changing pad. Upstairs I do have a changing pad complete with liner. These liners come in a three pack, and I have gone through all three on one particularly poopy day.

Other conveniences 

Swing and bouncer (VERY NICE to have):

I LOVE my swing/ bouncer combo by Graco. Swings are nice, bouncers are nice.. but a COMBO?!?!? those are AWESOME! I got mine off amazon (best deal.. check the link) and love it. Yes a baby doesn't HAVE to be in a swing or bouncer, but I really like that I can safely secure Teagan and have her nap a couple times a day in it. It vibrates, rocks, reclines and sits up, plays music, different nature sounds... and the best part is when I don't want her to swing, it detaches and then is a bouncer!! It has the option of battery operated or plugging into a wall.. most swings we looked at you have to get an adaptor separate so that's another plus! Depending on what bouncer or rocker you get, this one can cost roughly the same so it more about preference. But I think it should also be noted that when you get this combo it takes up less room then two items!

Well that's all I can remember for now! (If I think of anything else I'll post an update to add!) Hope this helps!

Until next time!
Bre and Teagan